Before you get a Beagle

Are you absolutly sure you want a Beagle?

So you finally made a decision of bringing home a dog of your own, now it's time to decide on what type of breed you want. I'm sure you looked at several top ten lists of different dog breeds to help you find the perfect dog by now, and since you're on this page I'm guessing Beagles got you somewhat curious. Well although these dogs are wonderfully amazing, they are not the right type of pet for everyone.

Beagles are Full of Energy

These guys might be little, but they are sure full of energy. Beagles love to run, chase, dig, and play lots of games… lots and lots of games. The only time you will catch these guys sitting still is when they are taking a break to rest or are sitting by their food bowl patiently awaiting their meals.

While that's something many future dog owners would love in the dog, it could scare away people who don't have that much time to spend with their dogs. Leaving a dog that's always looking for something to do home alone bored is not exactly ideal.

However if you have the time to spend with them playing or taking them out on walks, they will gladly keep you entertained for hours.

Zen Beagle

Beagles Make Great Friends

One of the best parts about Beagles is that they are very good at sensing their owners emotions which is exactly the type of a friend we need the most.

When you come home from a long hard day, he will be there to comfort you and cheer you up. If you're in the mood to play some ball or if you just want to lay down on the couch and relax, he will be right there by your side.

The key of course is to establish a good relationship with your dog. If you can build a relationship full of trust and love with your dog, he will be your best friend for life no matter what happens.

If you provide them with lots of love and care, they will return it tenfold. They truly are a man's best friend!

You can learn a lot more about owning a Beagle and how to take care of one on Beagle Happy. It's a great resource on the Beagle dog breed.

Beagles are Great with Children

The energetic personality of a Beagle will go hand in hand with children. Neither of them can sit still for too long so they will keep each other company for hours playing all sorts of games. Your dog will probably have much better luck at tiring out your kids than you will.

Plus their caring and loving personality makes them the perfect friend for a child. In fact, Beagles are often used as therapeutic dogs for children and elderly.

Just be sure to properly educate your kids on how they should handle the dog and how to take care of one. Teaching them how to understand the dogs body language is very important so that they know when they should back off and give him so room.

Training a Beagle is Easy!

Traing a Beagle to Sit

1. Start off by getting your Beagles attention - show him the treat and get him excited for it. Let him smell it so he knows it's something good. As soon as you get him to follow the treat with his eyes as you move it around in your hand, you're ready to go to the next step.

2. Get him to stand first - If your Beagle is already sitting, then you can't really to tell him to sit. So you need to get him to stand up. Take a few steps back or to the side so he has to stand up and move to get close to the treat.

3. Get him to sit - Hold the treat in front of him and above his head just above his reach, but not too high or he will try to jump for it. Now move your hand towards the dog keeping it at the same height and say the command. So the treat should start off in front of him and then move towards him until it is right above him. Your Beagle will do one of two things. He will either step back to keep eye contact with the treat or he will sit down so he can see it better. Your goal is to make him sit. If it doesn't work the first time, try it a couple more times.

4. Reward him for his behavior - Once his little butt touches the floor, give him the treat that he has been eyeing for the past five minutes along with some encouraging words. Try to time the reward as close with the action as possible when teaching new tricks.

5. Practice makes perfect - Keep practicing with your Beagle. Do this couple of more times, but try not to keep this training session going for longer than 15-20 minutes. Instead just have another short training session later on in the day.

Training a Beagle is Easy - Teaching a Beagle to sit

Teaching a Beagle to sit is pretty simple and doesn't take a lot of time. They are pretty quick learners

Time required: 15 min

Difficulty: easy

Instructions:

1. Start off by getting your Beagles attention - show him the treat and get him excited for it. Let him smell it so he knows it's something good. As soon as you get him to follow the treat with his eyes as you move it around in your hand, you're ready to go to the next step.

2. Get him to stand first - If your Beagle is already sitting, then you can't really to tell him to sit. So you need to get him to stand up. Take a few steps back or to the side so he has to stand up and move to get close to the treat.

3. Get him to sit - Hold the treat in front of him and above his head just above his reach, but not too high or he will try to jump for it. Now move your hand towards the dog keeping it at the same height and say the command. So the treat should start off in front of him and then move towards him until it is right above him. Your Beagle will do one of two things. He will either step back to keep eye contact with the treat or he will sit down so he can see it better. Your goal is to make him sit. If it doesn't work the first time, try it a couple more times.

4. Reward him for his behavior - Once his little butt touches the floor, give him the treat that he has been eyeing for the past five minutes along with some encouraging words. Try to time the reward as close with the action as possible when teaching new tricks.

5. Practice makes perfect - Keep practicing with your Beagle. Do this couple of more times, but try not to keep this training session going for longer than 15-20 minutes. Instead just have another short training session later on in the day.

Dog Products

If you plan on getting a dog, you will need to be prepared. Expect to buy a new bed for him, a crate, food/water bowls, a small grooming kit, plenty of toys for him to play with and everything else a dog needs.